The Royals go to Derby next Sunday knowing that they must get a positive result to have any realistic chance of moving out of the bottom three and avoiding relegation.

Approaching that final game, two out of four teams will be relegated, and the situation at the bottom of the table is:

Bolton 36pts, GD-18
Fulham 33pts, GD-23
Reading 33pts, GD-29
Birmingham 32pts, GD-19

A win would make us safe if Fulham fail to win when they face Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Birmingham's result at home to Blackburn would then be irrelevant.

A draw would see us safe if Fulham lose, as well as Birmingham losing to Blackburn.

If Fulham win, we could still stay up with a huge victory at Derby, but it would need to be along the lines of an improbable and unprecented 7-0 or 8-0. If we were to equal Fulham's goal difference that would be enough because we would have scored more goals.

We would need an even bigger turnaroud to overtake Bolton, who are away at Chelsea.

The only way we could stay up with a defeat is if Fulham are improbably hammered by six goals at Pompey, and Birmingham also lose.